Work-holding cradle for spike-hole-plug machines



F. V. CARIVIAN.

WORK HOLDING CRADLE FOR SPIKE HOLE PLUG MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT.27, 1919.

1,328,492, Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

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32 ATTORNEYS.

$1 I y ilI lllllilll IIIIIII III I I7! I. I NM? 1 A I m I L? m 0 WORKHOLDING CRADLE FOR SPIKE HOLE PLUG MACH APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21.1919.

F. V. CARMAN.

INES.

' Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

F. V. CARMAN. WORK HOLDING CRADLE FOB SPIKE HOLE PLUG MACHINES.APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, 1919.

1,328,492, Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

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INVEN TOR.

FRANK V. CARMAN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

WORK-HOLDING CRADLE FOB. SPIKE-I-IOLE-PLUG MACI-I INES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Application filed October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, F RANK V. CARMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Work HoldingCradles for Spike-Hole-Plug Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates in general to machines for making wooden plugs,especially adapted for filling the spike holes left in railwaycross-ties after the spikes have been drawn out, thereby restoring theholding capacity of the ties for fresh spikes or for the old onesredriven. In particular my invention relates to the cradles by which thework is held and presented to the cutting instrumentalities which makethe plugs. V

In machines for this purpose the work which is a block of wood, iscarried in a cradle and is presented in one position to a gang of sawsfollowed by a gang of pointing knives, the saws cuttmg a ser1es ofparallel kerfs in the block end to a depth determined by the length ofthe plugs to be made, and the knives beveling the ends of the cutsections. The cradle is then turned through an arc of 90 degrees, topresent the block in a position a quarter turned, whereby a secondseries of parallel kerfs is made by the saws in the block end, at rightangles to the first series and the pointing knives bevel the remainingsides of the out sections. There is thus formed in the end of the blocka group of pointed square plugs, as yet unsevered. The cradle is thenmoved to present the out block to the out off saw which severe theentire group of cut plugs from the block and dismembers it.

A machine for this purpose is fully disclosed in United States Patent,No. 1,218,836, granted to me March 13, 1917. Reference may be had tothis patent if desired.

The object of my present invention is to provide a cradle for holdingand presenting the work to the cutting instrumentalities, which isadapted to receive, firmly clamp and properly present a group ofirregular slabs of wood, thereby using up refuse material.

To this end my invention consists in the novel work-holding-cradle whichI shall hereinafter fully describe, by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevationof my cradle Figs. 3 andl,

in its upright position, showing a group of irregular mill-slabs held inposition therein.

Fig. 2 is a similar end elevation, showing the position of the cradleafter having been rotated a quarter-turn.

Fig. 3 is a partly broken longitudinal section, taken mainly on the line33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. r is a sectional detail, enlarged, of the follower, taken on theline l% of Fig. 3.

. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail, enlarged of one of the cradle-supportingrollers, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the end of the groups of slabs after thetwo kerfs have been made and the pointing done, but before thecutting-0E operation, showing the plugs formed but'still attached to theslabs.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic plan View Show mg the arrangement of the cradlewith respect to the various saws and cutters.

The cradle-body 1 comprises two sides and a bottom. Tn the bottom areopenings 2, to permit the ready escape of any saw-dust which may andusually does accompany the refuse slabs which constitute the work fromwhich the plugs are made.

Mounted in side cleats 3 secured to the sides of the body are thetransversely disposed rollers l, which overlie the bottom of the bodyand may have holding bearings 5, Fig. 4, at their middles.

6 is a follower block mounted in the body 1, and resting on theside-cleats and rollers, as shown in Figs. a and 5. The follower isguided and held in the body by side flanges 7, Fig. 1, sliding ingrooves 8 in the body sides.

The follower 6 is set up in order to feed the work, by means of arock-shaft 9 with a lever 10, Figs. 3, 4: and 7. The ends of the rockshaft are ournaled in the grooves 8 of the body sides and engage theteeth of rack bars 11, Figs. 3 and 4, secured to the sides of the body.

Cams 12 on the rock shaft bear against the back of the follower.

The operation of this detail is as follows The rock-shaft 9, being heldby the rackbars 11, lies up against the back of the follower 6, with itscams 12 extending downwardly. Ifnow the shaft 9 be rocked by pullingback on the lever 10, the earns 12 rising against the follower willforce said follower forward, the various parts taking the positionsshown in- Figs. 3'and 1. -Then the shaft being rocked forwardly, itscams move down away from the follower, and the shaft may then bemanually bodily moved forward to engage advanced teeth of the rack-bars11, in which position the shaft will lie against the follower ready tofeed the latter forward again as in the first instance. The effectivelength of the cams 12 is equal to the distance between the rack-barteeth, and these dimensions, it may be here stated, are the same as thelength of the spike-hole-plugs to be cut from the work, as will morefully appear in the description of the complete operation.

Slidably mounted in vertical guides 13, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, at the frontend of the body 1, is a transverse clamp-bar 14 carried by the lowerends of clamping-screws 15, which are threaded through a cross bar 16,and have handles 17. The connection between the lower ends of the screws15 and the clamp bar 14' is a swiveled one, as inclicated at 18, in Fig.1, so that said bar may yield to any unevenness in the surface of thework upon which it is forced down by the screws, and may thereby binduniformly.

19 is the carriage for the cradle body 1. The carriage has legs 20 withwheels 21. It also has end members 22 which are concaved on their uppersurfaces on the'arc of a circle, and in these arcuate surfaces aremounted anti-friction bearing rollers 23, Figs. 1, 2 and 5. each endwith a-fianged member 24 Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, circular in contour andlying about the bottom and sides of the body. These flanged members fitand rest upon the concave arcuate surfaces of the members 22 of thecarriage 19, the members 2 1 being in efi'ect rockers and the members 22rockerbeds, enabling the cradle body to be turned on its axis through aquarter revolution for its contemplated use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Upon the carriage 19, near one end is the body-locking bar 25, Fig. 3,with handles 25, Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This bar is hinged transversely tothe carriage at 26, Fig. 3, so that it may be turned to either aposition perpendicular to the carriage or parallel therewith; and it hasa width sufficient when turned to a perpendicular position, as shown inthe drawings, to bear up under and against the bottom or the side of thecradle l, as the case may be, thereby locking said cradle againstmovement on its axis.

27 indicates the work. This consists, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, ofslabs of wood, irregular in shape and of various sizes. These slabs areusually refuse material, but thev contain wood enough for many plugs.

They are grouped together in the cradle as compactly as their contourswill permit and all are clamped together by the clampbar 14. Their rearends abut against the fol- The cradle-body 1, is provided at.

lower 6, while their forward ends are initially sawed ofi evenly.

In Fig. 7 I have indicated somewhat diagrammatically a gang of saws 28,with an overlying gang of pointing knives 29. Also in a position to oneside I have indicated a cut off saw 30, and associated with thesecutting instrumentalities T have indicated a platform 31, with rails 32.Upon these rails It indicate my improved cradle l.

The operation of my cradle will now be understood :-With the cradledrawn over to the near side of the platform 31, as shown in Fig. 7, theoperator fills it with the slabs 27, the follower 6 being at itsrearward limit, and bearing up against the rear ends of the slabs. Byany suitable means the forward ends of the slabs are evened up and theyproject from the cradle a distance sufficient for the required length ofplugs to be cut. The group of slabs are now clamped down tightly by thebar 14:, and the cradle body 1 is locked against rotation by the bar 25.

The whole cradle is then pushed over on the platform rails 32, until theprojecting end of the slab group 27 comes under the saws 28. The saws28, followed by the pointing knives 29 now descend and cut into the workend, making a series of parallel kerfs the depth of the plugs to bemade, and the knives bevel the cut sections on two sides. The saws andknives now ascend through the kerf and then, while the cradle is stillin position, its body 1 is turned on its roc ers 2 1 through a quarterrevolution, the locking bar having first been turned on hinges to permitthis movement. l/Vhen the quarter turn of the cradle body is complete,the locking bar 25 is raised again to lock the cradle body and thereuponthe saws and knives again descend and thus make a series of kerfs in thework end at right angles to the first kerfs; and the knives point theother sides of the sections, whereby there is made in the projecting endof the work a group or cluster of unsevered pointed plugs are shown inFig. 6 by 27.

Now the cradle is run over to the'saw 30, Fig. 7, which cuts oi theplugs, thus dismembering the group. Thereupon the cradle is run back tothe first side of the platform, where the clamp-bar 1a is relieved, andthe the rock shaft 9 is operated by the lever 10 to cause its cams 12 toforce the follower 6 forward against the slabs 27 whereby said slabs areshoved or fed forward, sliding easily on the bottom rollers 1, adistance equal to the first projection of the work. When this is done,the rock shaft is moved bodily up. in the next teeth of the rack-bars l1and thus bears against and holds the follower 6. Then the clamp-bar 14:is restored and the operation of cutting a fresh group of plugs isrepeated, and so on, until the slabs are used up.

I claim 1. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage; a cradle-bodymounted on the carriage for axial rotation; means for locking the bodyat the limits of a quarter revolution; a movable follower in the bodyfor feeding the work forward; and means at the forward end of the cradlebody for clamping the work.

2. A worlrholding-cradle comprising a carriage; a cradle body mounted onthe carriage for axial rotation; means for locking the body at thelimits of a quarter revolution; a movable follower in the body forfeeding the work forward; a movable rockshaft having cams for forcingforward the follower; rack-bars carried by the body for holding therock-shaft in the positions to which it is successively moved; and meansat the forward end of the cradle body for clamping the Work.

3. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage having arcuaterocker-beds at each end; a cradle body having arcuate rockers at eachend, seated upon the rocker-beds of the carriage, whereby said body maybe turned on its axis; means for locking the body at the limits of aquarter revolution, and means for clamping the work in said cradle-body.

4:. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage having arcuaterocker-beds at each end; a cradle body having arcuate rockers at eachend, seated upon the rocker-beds of the carriage, whereby said body maybe turned on its axis; means for locking the body at the limits of aquarter revolution, means for clamping the work in said cradlebody, andmeans for feeding the work forward in said body.

5. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage; a cradle-body mounted onthe carriage for axial rotation; means for locking the body at thelimits of a quarter revolution consisting of a bar hinged to thecarriage and adapted to be turned into the path of revolution of thebody; and means for clamping the work in the body.

6. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage having arcuaterocker-beds at each end, a cradle body having arcuate rockers at eachend seated upon the rocker-beds,

whereby the body may be turned on its axis; a transversely disposed barhinged to the carriage and adapted to be turned into engagement with thebody to lock it at the limits of a quarter revolution; and means forclamping the work in the cradle body.

7. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage having arcuaterocker-beds at each end, a cradle body having arcuate rockers at eachend seated upon the rocker-beds, whereby the body may be turned on itsaxis; a transversely disposed bar hinged to the carriage and adapted tobe turned into on gagement with the body to lock it at the limits of aquarterrevolution; and means for clamping the work in the cradle bodyand feeding it forward, consisting of a clamp-bar with operating screws,at the forward end of the cradle-body, a slidable follower in the bodyadapted to bear on the rear end of the work, a slidable rock shaft withcams acting on the follower, and rackbars in the body for holding therock-shaft.

S. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage; a cradle-body mounted onthe carriage for axial rotation; means for locking the body at thelimits of a quarter-revolution; a series of transversely-disposedrollers, in the bottom of the body, upon which the work rests; a movablefollower in the body for feeding the work forward; and means at theforward end of the body for clamping the work.

9. A work-holding-cradle comprising a carriage; a cradle-body mounted onthe body for axial rotation; means for locking the body at the limits ofa quarter-revolution; a series of transversely-disposed rollers, in thebottom of the body, upon which the work rests; a movable follower,resting upon said rollers and operating in guide-ways formed in thebody, for feeding the work forward; and means for clamping the work inthe body.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK V. CARMAN.

Witnesses WILLIAM F. BOOTH, J r., D. B. RICHARDS.

